Markets

Dutch government puts austerity plans on hold
The Dutch government has temporarily abandoned austerity measures it previously said were needed to bring the country's budget deficit within European ...
Bailed-out Portugal to unveil more cuts next week
Portugal's prime minister says his government will announce new spending cuts worth 1.2 billion euros ($1.6 billion) next week to compensate for ...
Oil falls to near $92 on lower demand forecasts
The price of oil fell to near $92 a barrel Friday, dragged down by a combination of lukewarm forecasts for demand and ample supplies. By early ...
Asian stock markets mixed as gains cashed up
Asian stock markets were mixed Friday as investors turned cautious and took profits from recent rallies in spite of evidence pointing to an improving ...
India and Germany see progress in trade deal
The leaders of Germany and India said Thursday that progress is being made on a new free trade agreement between India and the European Union but ...
Greek beats budget target but revenue still weak
Financially struggling Greece said Wednesday it achieved a primary budget surplus of 508 million euros ($665 million) in the first quarter despite ...
Luxembourg agrees to help fight tax cheats
Luxembourg is to start exchanging information with the rest of Europe to help fight tax evasion, the government said Wednesday in a move it hopes will ...
Indian minister pushes for free trade deal with EU
India's foreign minister is urging European governments to move ahead with a free trade and investment deal that has been in negotiations with his ...
Global trade to be weaker than expected
Global trade will be weaker than expected this year as European economies struggle with their debt crisis, and will recover only slightly in 2014, the ...
Czech power company settles dispute with EU
European regulators say they have accepted measures put forward by the major Czech state-run power company CEZ to settle a dispute over its dominant ...
Greece signals faster state reforms
Socialist coalition partners in Greece's government said Tuesday that overhauling the country's bloated public sector is crucial for the success of ...
Head of Austrian bank returns millions in pay
The head of an Austrian bank has returned millions of euros of his pay from last year, saying the size of his remuneration goes against his and the ...
French parliament approves looser labor rules
Legislation aiming to loosen up France's rigid labor rules has won approval by the lower house of parliament, amid protests by hard-line unions.
UK bank ex-CEO asks to be stripped of knighthood
The ex-chief executive of failed British bank HBOS wants to be stripped of his knighthood following a scathing report from the parliamentary banking ...
Britain to share tax info with European countries
Britain says it has struck a deal with France, Germany, Spain and Italy to share financial data and fight tax evasion. The British government says a ...
Portugal finance minister cracks down on spending
Portugal's finance minister has a message for his government colleagues: don't spend an extra penny without asking me first. The government is ...
EU antitrust body probes MasterCard fees
The European Union has launched an antitrust investigation into some of MasterCard's payment fees. The European Commission, the EU's executive arm ...
Cyprus crisis ruins dying father's plans for kids
When Costas Kalapodas was diagnosed with brain cancer two years ago and given months to live, he saw one sure place to put his money: Cyprus' biggest ...
Reagan, Thatcher forged a close, lasting bond
Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan, two self-assured and firm-speaking conservatives, joined forces in the early 1980s and drastically changed the ...
US lawmakers push for new sanctions on Iran
The failure of negotiations between six world powers and Iran over its disputed nuclear program has jumpstarted the congressional push for even ...
UN: Chemical investigators ready to go to Syria
U.N. experts are ready to move into Syria immediately to investigate reported chemical weapons attacks but President Bashar Assad's government still ...
Greece: Stalled bank merger tests investors
Greek banks NBG and Eurobank on Monday said their planned merger has been postponed, causing huge volatility in their share price amid fears they may ...
EU tells Portugal new cuts needed to meet targets
The European Commission insists Portugal must take new steps to plug this year's budget shortfall after the country's top court struck down several ...
Pain bites into Portuguese life as crisis deepens
Serving a frugal lunch in their kitchen not much bigger than a bathroom, Pedro and Elena Baptista spoon stewed chicken feet onto their boiled potatoes ...
Financial hub Luxembourg under increased scrutiny
As the European Union's wealthiest country, Luxembourg could have been forgiven for thinking that it would never find itself on the bloc's financial ...